ABC’s 9-1-1 season seven has kept viewers waiting three weeks after dropping a trailer teasing the much-anticipated wedding of Maddie and Chimney, which is set to finally arrive with episode six. “There Goes the Groom” will air on Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT.
Season seven stars Angela Bassett as Athena Grant, Peter Krause as Bobby Nash, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Maddie Buckley, and Oliver Stark as Evan “Buck” Buckley. Kenneth Choi plays Howie “Chimney” Han, Aisha Hinds is Henrietta “Hen” Wilson, Ryan Guzman is Eddie Diaz, and Gavin McHugh is Christopher Diaz. Lou Ferrigno Jr guest stars as Tommy Kinard.
“There Goes the Groom” Plot: After years of anticipation, Maddie and Chimney’s long-awaited wedding day arrives. However, when the groom mysteriously vanishes, the 118 races against time to ensure he doesn’t miss the most crucial day of his life.
Ryan Guzman, Oliver Stark, Jennifer Love Hewitt Gregory Harrison, and Dee Wallace in ‘9-1-1’ season 7 episode 6 (Disney/Chris Willard)
9-1-1 Description, Courtesy of ABC:
The series explores the high-pressure experiences of first responders — including police officers, firefighters, and dispatchers — who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking, and heart-stopping situations. These emergency responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives. The show draws from real-life, high-pressure experiences of first responders who regularly face heart-stopping situations that are often unpredictable, intense, and uplifting at the same time.
Oliver Stark and Ryan Guzman in season 7 episode 6 (Disney/Chris Willard)Aisha Hinds in the “There Goes the Groom” episode (Disney/Chris Willard)
There’s passion on and off the court in the romantic drama Challengers, directed by Oscar nominee Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name). Two-time Emmy winner Zendaya (Euphoria) stars as Tashi Duncan, a teenage tennis prodigy whose career is on the verge of taking off. The action picks up in 2006 with Tashi letting her hair down and enjoying herself at an Adidas party after an impressive win. Best friends and fellow tennis players Art (Mike Faist, West Side Story) and Patrick (Emmy winner Josh O’ Connor, The Crown) are also at the party, and it’s obvious they’re both attracted to Tashi.
Finally, the two guys gather the courage to talk to Tashi, complimenting her amazing skills. The trio dives into a discussion about tennis and reveal their interpretations of the sport.
Tashi teases that she might swing by their hotel room later, and they’re surprised when she actually accepts their invitation to hang out and talk. Tashi smiles and flirts but insists she is not a “homewrecker” and wouldn’t want to break up a friendship. Still, she asks them to join her on the bed and in a steamy moment, starts making out with both Art and Patrick simultaneously. The two men are at a loss for words when they open their eyes and see that they have unknowingly kissed each other, while Tashi looks on, smiling. Before leaving, Tashi promises she’ll give her number to whoever wins the tennis match the following day.
The film jumps forward to 2019 and Tashi, now Art’s wife and coach, struggles to get him out of his recent losing streak. She books him to play a challenger event – close to the lowest level on the pro tour – hoping to boost his ego and energy. However, Tashi is surprised and concerned when she discovers that Patrick, now a down-on-his-luck, burned-out tennis player, is also part of the tournament.
A flashback to 2006 reveals that Patrick defeated Art and won Tashi’s number. The two quickly became lovers, which ruined Art and Patrick’s friendship. The film makes multiple leaps back and forth in time, showing how throughout the years Patrick and Art remained emotionally tied to Tashi and how she’s been able to manipulate and control them.
Challengers is a sweaty, stylish, exceptionally well-acted film about three people who are passionate about tennis. It’s a love triangle, but about the sport, not the relationships.
Zendaya delivers her best performance so far as Tashi, the young tennis prodigy whose career is cut short way too early because of an injury. Tashi’s a smart, determined woman who will do almost anything to remain a part of the sport she no longer dominates. Zendaya plays her as a woman who understands the mind games she’s playing on the two men who’ve remained obsessed with her for years. She has sizzling chemistry with Faist and O’Connor and commands the screen every scene she’s in with them.
Mike Faist delivers a layered performance as Art, a fairly decent guy and solid tennis player who in 2006 was driven by passion to break up Patrick and Tashi and make her his own. Later in 2019, he’s deeply worried he’ll lose her when they both accept the fact that his tennis days are behind him. Faist also has wonderful chemistry with O’ Connor as Art and Patrick go from best friends to rivals and eventually hostile competitors on the court.
Josh O’Connor is incredibly effective as Patrick, the burned-out tennis player who never took his relationship with Tashi seriously enough, but deep down has a real passion for his former lover. Patrick knows Tashi better than she knows herself and loves to push her buttons. And O’Connor delivers the most natural and authentic performance in the film.
The tennis matches are well choreographed, but director Luca Guadagnino ruins the tension and rhythm of many of the sports scenes by overusing slow-motion so much that it becomes tedious and annoying. Another problem with the film is the non-linear storytelling that reveals the history of Tashi, Art, and Patrick’s relationship. It’s initially effective but becomes distracting.
Still, with captivating performances by Zendaya, Faist, and O’Connor, Challengers is a sports drama/romance film that serves up some energetic entertainment.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: R for some sexual content, language throughout, and graphic nudity
Release Date: April 26, 2024
Running Time: 2 hours 11 minutes
Studio: MGM
The trailer for Fox’s The Cleaning Lady season three episode eight promises a “shocking ending you won’t believe.” Episode eight, “Know Thy Enemy,” will air on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT.
Elodie Yung leads the cast as Thony, Martha Millan plays Fiona, Kate del Castillo is Ramona Sanchez, and Eva De Dominici is Nadia. Santiago Cabrera plays Jorge, Faith Bryant is Jaz, and Sean Lew plays Chris. Mayans MC‘s Clayton Cardenas guest stars as Dante.
“Know Thy Enemy” Plot: As Thony starts to spiral, Fiona grows tired of her antics and goes to Russo for help. Meanwhile, Ramona and Jorge focus on cleaning up Arman’s mess, ensuring nothing can be traced back to them.
The stakes in season three are higher and more intense than ever. This season, Thony turns her efforts to bringing Fiona back to the US after she was deported to the Philippines, devising an extraction plan with Arman (Adan Canto) using Nadia’s plane. When he mysteriously disappears, Thony and Nadia begrudgingly team together to look for him.
Meanwhile, Fiona tries to manage the aftermath of her deportation to the Philippines while Thony explores drastic measures to get her back home as well as search for answers regarding Arman. While Thony is relieved that Luca’s medical issues have improved, he and Thony face a new threat that may keep them apart, while Chris makes a careless decision to help his mother Fiona but may jeopardize their futures as well as that of Jaz’s.
As Thony’s journey continues to unfold, she is completely alone. Her world is turned upside down as she fights to protect her family, forcing her to take steps that deepen a new association with a dangerous Cartel.
Brad Dourif as Charles Lee Ray in ‘Chucky’ season 3 episode 7 (Photo by: SYFY)
Brad Dourif has been the voice of Chucky since 1988’s Child’s Play. Season three of the Chucky TV series gave Dourif another chance to appear on screen. Charles Lee Ray (Dourif) comes from the spirit realm to haunt the White House.
Dourif spoke with Showbiz Junkies via Zoom about the latest developments in Chucky’s voodoo mythology in the TV series. This interview contains spoilers for the season through this week’s episode, so watch the episode first. The season finale airs on Wednesday, May 1 at 10 p.m. on USA and SYFY.
Brad, you only appeared on screen at the beginning of the first Child’s Play and in flashbacks in Curse of Chucky. Were you always angling for more on-screen appearances?
Brad Dourif: “I’m an employee. I don’t get to angle. It’s been a while since I’ve been on screen, and they ask me if I like it. I said I’d love to so that’s that.”
This is the first time you’ve interacted with the Chucky doll. Is that surreal?
Brad Dourif: “Very. Actually, I voiced Damballa. So, what was surprising about that is I felt like it was somebody else. Also, Damballa was very different from Chucky. So I wasn’t acting with Chucky. I was acting with Damballa who looked like Chucky.”
Was it surreal to see your daughter looking like you before the first Child’s Play?
Brad Dourif: “No, because I’ve seen her before as Charles Lee Ray. She was sitting in the chair for hours. I was thinking, ‘Well, I did that so many times. Better her than me.’ And then I couldn’t wait. At first, I watched her do scenes and that was a lot of fun. I watched her work.”
The series also let you do lots of different Chucky voices like Col. Kurtz and Good Chucky. How did you vary them but still keep them Chucky?
Brad Dourif: “The Brando Chucky was really hard. I worked and worked on it. I would do it and I’d get Brando finally. And then I would try to bring in a little Chucky and the whole thing would fall apart. I did that for like two weeks. By the time, I was kind of mad at Don for having put me through that, not his fault. So that was hard. Good Chucky is just fun. I kind of had to la la la him up a bit. I just made him, ‘So I wish I was an Oscar Meyer wiener.’ That was fun. That was just fun.”
Brad Dourif as Charles Lee Ray in ‘Chucky’ season 3 (Photo by: SYFY)
Was Chucky killing the President good for bragging rights?
Brad Dourif: “I never thought of it that way. I really didn’t. For Chucky, yeah. He does mention it to Damballa but I think it’s far more impactful, how many shows does the President get killed? Tons of them, but how many people blow up Santa Claus? Not a lot. There you have it.”
Well, Freddy and Jason never killed someone that powerful.
Brad Dourif: “No.”
They keep adding backstory to Charles Lee Ray. When you think back to the first movie, were you just thinking he’s a strangler and practices voodoo?
Brad Dourif: “Well, that’s all I had to work with. Every performance is also an event and the event is a certain thing. It requires a certain kind of life. Preparing for that is different from preparing for a lot of other things. It’s not as serious. I remember, I decided to have him, as he was pursuing women on the street, have him dance a little bit.”
Were you almost not in the first movie because of scheduling?
Brad Dourif: “No, that’s not true. The movie I was already in. What the scheduling problem was was doing changes in the voice. So they hired somebody else to do it and it didn’t work so they waited for me and I came in and did it.”
Paramount+s Mayor of Kingstown season three finds Mike (Jeremy Renner) ready to take the war to his enemies. Mike’s little brother confesses to being terrified now that a new Russian mob is doing business in their town.
In addition to Renner, back in action after a horrific accident, the season three cast includes Hugh Dillon as Ian, Taylor Handley as Kyle McLusky, Emma Laird as Iris, and Tobi Bamtefa as Deverin ‘Bunny’ Washington. Derek Webster is Stevie, Hamish Allan-Headley is Robert, Nishi Munshi is Tracy, and Michael Beach plays Captain Kareem Moore.
“In season three, a series of explosions rock Kingstown and its citizens, as a new face of the Russian mob sets up shop in the city, and a drug war rages inside and outside prison walls,” reads Paramount+’s synopsis. “The pressure is on Mike McLusky (Renner) to end the war but things get complicated when a familiar face from his incarcerated past threatens to undermine the Mayor’s attempts to keep the peace among all factions.”
Mayor of Kingstown was created by Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, with Sheridan, Dillon, Renner, Antoine Fuqua, David C. Glasser, and Ron Burkle executive producing. Additionally, Bob Yari, Michael Friedman, Dave Erickson, Regina Corrado, Christoph Schrewe, and Keith Cox serve as executive producers.
Season three will premiere on June 2, 2024, with new episodes streaming on Sundays.
‘Mayor of Kingstown’ season 3 poster (Photo Credit: Paramount+)
Country music icon Reba McEntire has said yes to hosting the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards. The upcoming 59th ACM Awards will mark McEntire’s 17th time handling the hosting gig. She’s also expected to perform new music during this year’s awards show.
The awards show will be held at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Prime Video will stream the show live on Thursday, May 16 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. It will also stream on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.
“I am tickled to pieces to get to host the ACM Awards for the 17th time!” said Reba McEntire. “What an honor to have been part of the past, present and now the future of the Academy of Country Music with Amazon Prime Video. I can’t wait to get to Texas and see everybody May 16th!”
McEntire has earned 16 ACM Awards and holds the record for the most Female Artist of the Year nominations.
Reba McEntire will host the 2024 ACM Awards (Photo Courtesy of ACM)
“We are thrilled for the homecoming of Reba to the ACM Awards stage for the 17th time! There is simply no one better to continue to elevate this show in our new global streaming era with Amazon Prime Video,” said ACM CEO Damon Whiteside. “No one has a deeper and richer history with the Academy than Reba, from her many years hosting the ACM Awards, and from her 16 ACM Awards wins including Entertainer of the Year and two ACM anniversary Milestone Awards. With exciting new music coming, extensive television presence and a worldwide fanbase, Reba’s back and better than ever!”
Raj Kapoor will serve as showrunner and executive producer, with Patrick Menton co-executive producing. ACM’s Damon Whiteside and DCP’s Barry Adelman also executive produce. The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions.
“Reba McEntire is an icon. She is one of the most influential artists in the music industry and we are thrilled to welcome her back as host of the Academy of Country Music Awards,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios. “We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration with the ACM Awards along with harnessing the global strength of Amazon to offer country music’s longest-running award show to our audience.”
CSI: Vegas and So Help Me Todd recently learned they won’t be returning for new seasons, but The Equalizer has received much better news. The crime drama starring Queen Latifah has officially been renewed for season five and will be part of CBS’s primetime lineup for the 2024-2025 season.
“The Equalizer, led by the incomparable Queen Latifah, has all the best elements of a powerful drama,” stated Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “The series is stacked with suspense, heroism, high stakes, and formidable characters our audience roots for. We look forward to another dynamic season.”
In addition to Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, season four stars Tory Kittles as Detective Marcus Dante, Adam Goldberg as Harry Keshegian, and Liza Lapira as Melody “Mel” Bayani. Laya DeLeon Hayes plays Delilah and Lorraine Toussaint stars as Viola “Vi” Marsette.
“The Equalizer is a reimagining of the classic series starring Academy Award nominee and multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah (Chicago) as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn,” reads CBS’s synopsis.
Season four ranks in the top 10 among broadcast dramas, pulling in 7.89 million viewers.
Joseph C. Wilson and Adam Glass serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Additional executive producers include Queen Latifah, Andrew Marlowe, Terri Edda Miller, John Davis, John Fox, and Debra Martin Chase. Richard Lindheim (co-creator of the original Equalizer series), Shakim Compere, Joseph C. Wilson, and Loretha Jones also executive produce.
Jean Smart in ‘Hacks’ season 3 (Photo Courtesy of Max)
Max’s May 2024 lineup includes the much-anticipated third season of the award-winning comedy Hacks starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. The streaming service is also adding a new chapter in the Pretty Little Liars story with Pretty Little Liars: Summer School, debuting on May 9th.
Max has set a May 2nd premiere date for the coming-of-age film Turtles All the Way Down, based on the bestseller by John Green and starring Isabela Merced. The streaming service has comedy covered with Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die on May 11th and Thirst with Shay Mitchell debuting May 23rd. Those looking for more serious fare have the documentaries STAX: Soulsville U.S.A., and MoviePass, Moviecrash arriving in May, as well as the restored Stop Making Sense concert film celebrating its 40th anniversary.
SERIES & FILMS ARRIVING ON MAX IN MAY 2024
May 1
All About My Mother (1999)
Black Christmas (2019)
Crank (2006)
Crank: High Voltage (2009)
The Dead Don’t Die (2019)
Don Jon (2013)
Eddie the Eagle (2016)
The Edge (1997)
The Florida Project (2017)
Genius (2016)
Guy’s Grocery Games, Season 35 (Food Network)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Jack and the Beanstalk (1952)
Jersey Boys (2014)
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
The Lighthouse (2019)
Mad Max (1979)
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now? (TLC)
Poltergeist (2015)
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
Poltergeist III (1988)
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Sisters (2015)
The Upside of Anger (2005)
Wild Mountain Thyme (2020)
Wonderland (2003)
May 2
Selena + Restaurant, Season 1 (Food Network)
Six Is Not A Crowd (Felices Los 6), Season 1 (Max Original)
Turtles All the Way Down (Max Original) – Plot: The film tackles anxiety through its 17-year-old protagonist, Aza Holmes (Isabela Merced). It’s not easy being Aza, but she’s trying… trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, and a good student, all while navigating an endless barrage of invasive, obsessive thoughts that she cannot control. When she reconnects with Davis, her childhood crush, Aza is confronted with fundamental questions about her potential for love, happiness, friendship, and hope.
Hacks, Season 3 (Max Original) – Plot: A year after parting, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is riding high off the success of her standup special while Ava (Hannah Einbinder) pursues new opportunities back in Los Angeles.
A scene from ‘Stop Making Sense’ (Photo Courtesy of A24)
May 3
Batwheels, Season 2B (Cartoon Network)
Teen Titans Go!, Season 8 (Cartoon Network)
Zillow Gone Wild, Season 1 (HGTV)
Stop Making Sense (A24 2023 Re-Release) – Plot: Newly restored in 4K to coincide with its 40th anniversary, the 1984 film was directed by renowned filmmaker Jonathan Demme and is considered by critics as the greatest concert film of all time. Stop Making Sense stars core band members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison along with Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir, Steve Scales, Lynn Mabry and Edna Holt. The live performance was shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December of 1983 and features Talking Heads’ most memorable songs.
May 4
America’s Backyard Gold, Season 1 (Discovery Channel)
May 5
People Magazine Killer Investigates, Season 1 (ID)
May 6
Mini Beat Power Rockers, S4B
Next Baking Master: Paris, Season 1 (Food Network)
Yellowstone Wardens, Season 4 (Animal Planet)
May 7
Mecum Full Throttle: Houston TX 2024 (Motor Trend)
Outdaughtered, Season 10 (TLC)
May 8
In Pursuit with John Walsh, Season 5 (ID)
Stupid Pet Tricks, Season 1 (TBS)
May 9
Pretty Little Liars: Summer School (Max Original) – Plot: Following the harrowing events of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, our Pretty Little Liars face a fate worse than death – summer school. However, Millwood High isn’t the only thing getting in the way of their fun summer jobs and new, dreamy love interests. A new villain, who may or may not have a connection to A, has come to town and is going to put them all to the test.
May 10 The Iron Claw (2023) (A24) – Plot: The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.
May 11
Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die (HBO Original) – Plot: Taped late last year in front of a sold-out, lively audience at the Moore Theater in Seattle, Washington, Glaser dives into a wide range of topics that have further evolved her comedic prowess including why she doesn’t want kids, the harsh realities of aging, her sexual fantasies, and plans for her own death – all in her hilarious, unapologetic, and brutally honest style.
May 12
Expedition From Hell: The Lost Tapes (Discovery Channel)
Naked and Afraid XL, Season 10 (Discovery Channel)
May 13
SMILING FRIENDS, Season 2 (Adult Swim)
Summer Baking Championship, Season 2 (Food Network)
May 14
Doubling Down with the Derricos, Season 5 (TLC)
May 15
Botched Bariatrics, Season 1 (TLC)
Ghost Adventures, Season 28 (Discovery Channel)
Home Sweet Rome (2023) (Max Original)
Sleepless (2017)
May 16
Murder in the Heartland (ID)
May 17
My Lottery Dream Home, Season 15 (Discovery Channel)
May 18
Design Down Under, Season 2 (Magnolia Network)
May 19
Ciao House, Season 2 (Food Network)
May 20
Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight, Limited Series (CNN Original Series)
STAX: Soulsville U.S.A (HBO Original) – Plot: STAX: Soulsville U.S.A tells the story of an underdog record label comprised of Black and white collaborators who ushered in the groundbreaking, industry-altering soul music of Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, The Staple Singers, Sam & Dave and many others that defined a generation. Driven by instinct and defying the notion that Black artists needed to be “made marketable,” the Memphis-based label went from ultimate outsider to one of the most influential producers of Black music – finding its place inside the broader mainstream record industry.
Stax became more than a record label; it transformed into a beacon of Black freedom. It is a quintessentially American story of an audacious group of individuals who dared to make their own music on their own terms creating an institution that has continued to help define our culture long after the label itself has gone. This is the story of Stax. As raw and honest as the sounds the label laid to vinyl.
May 21
Elephants vs. Man with Nick Paton Walsh (CNN Original)
Hell on Earth: The Verónica Case (La Mano En El Fuego) (Max Original)
May 22
Moonshiners: Master Distiller (Discovery Channel) A scene from ‘Thirst With Shay Mitchell’ (Photo Courtesy of WBD)May 23
Last Chance Garage, Season 1 (Motor Trend)
Romário: The Guy (Romário: O Cara), Season 1 (Max Original)
Texas Metal’s Loud and Lifted, Season 2 (Motor Trend)
Thirst with Shay Mitchell (Max Original) – Plot: Shay Mitchell explores the world one drink at a time as she visits exotic locations, samples unique ingredients, and meets expert hosts. On her journey, she encounters the latest drink trends, the best bars, and 8,000 years of sipping history.
May 24
Caught: Wild and Weird America (Discovery Channel)
Diary of an Old Home, Season 4 (Magnolia Network)
May 25
Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America (Discovery Channel)
May 26
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
May 27
90 Day Fiancé: UK, Season 3
Two Guys Garage, Season 23 (Motor Trend)
May 29
Homicide Hunter: American Detective, Season 4 (ID)
Traces of Love (Evidências Do Amor) (Max Original)
MoviePass, MovieCrash (HBO Original) – Plot: In a span of eight years, MoviePass went from being the fastest-growing subscription service since Spotify to total bankruptcy, losing over $150 million in 2017 alone. MoviePass, MovieCrash chronicles the company’s beginnings as an innovative movie ticketing model, exploring the visionary mission of its co-founders, its jaw-dropping early successes and its precipitous downfall caused by mismanagement and corporate greed.
May 30
Outchef’d, Season 3 (Food Network)
May 31
Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail, Season 3 (Discovery Channel)
Fox’s Alert: Missing Persons Unit returns after a two-week break with season two episode eight, “Alexi.” Episode eight, which finds the team on the hunt for a missing teen, airs on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT.
Scott Caan stars as Jason Grant and Dania Ramirez is Nikki Batista. Ryan Broussard plays Mike Sherman, Adeola Role is Kemi Adebayo, and Alisha-Marie Ahamed is Wayne Pascal.
“Alexi” Plot: The MPU is on the case when a young hockey player goes missing during a fight with an opponent on the ice. Kemi is unexpectedly reunited with a face from the past. Nikki runs interference with Braun when Jason dives deeper into the car bombing murders.
Alert: Missing Persons Unit is a procedural drama set in the Philadelphia Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit (MPU). Each episode features a heart-pounding, life-or-death search for a missing person headed by detectives Jason Grant and Nikki Batista. Together with the MPU team, their job is to find the missing or abducted and reunite them with their loved ones. Jason and Nikki, once married, have a very personal connection to these cases as their own young son went missing and was never found. The emotional toll of their son’s disappearance blew up their marriage, but even though they’ve moved on, their bond remains.
Nikki now runs MPU, where she and the team do for others what she wasn’t able to do for herself: bring a loved one back home. At MPU, she leads a highly skilled team, including her fiancé Mike Sherman, whom Nikki met when he was assigned to oversee the search for her son; Kemi Adebayo, a spiritually savvy detective with an astonishing knowledge base; and forensic anthropologist C (recurring guest star and newcomer Petey Gibson), who is a master at reconstructing the faces of those who have disappeared.
As the second season begins, the MPU team step into their new office in headquarters, where Jason and Nikki meet their new boss Inspector Hollis Braun (guest star Gil Bellows), who wants to keep a close eye on the team, particularly the unpredictable Jason Grant. Jason brings his old friend in to help with the case: master hacker Wayne Pascal, who he worked with in Afghanistan. Jason conveniently never told Nikki that Wayne was a woman (and a hot one!), which raises issues even as Nikki and Mike plan their wedding. Together, the team works to find the missing or abducted and help reunite them with their loved ones before it’s too late.
Investigation Discovery’s Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter documentary series takes a deep dive into the lives of the troubled Carter siblings. The first two episodes of the four-part docuseries premiere on May 27, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT. Episodes three and four follow on May 28th.
Fall Idols features interviews with women who’ve accused Nick Carter of sexual assault. The docuseries also delves into Aaron Carter’s struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues, as well as his public support of Nick’s accusers. (Aaron passed away in November 2022 at age 34.)
Investigation Discovery released this lengthy description of the documentary series:
“In 2017, Nick Carter was accused of sexual assault by singer and actress Melissa Schuman, former member of a popular girl group DREAM while Nick Carter and Backstreet Boys were at the height of their fame. In the years following Schuman’s decision to come forward, additional accusers, Ashley Repp and Shay Ruth, spoke out with similar accusations. During this period, Aaron Carter decided to support Nick’s accusers, while battling addiction and struggling with his own mental health, stoking a very public feud between the two brothers in the lead up to Aaron’s tragic death in 2022. Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter delves into the accusations against Nick and how those intertwined with the volatile relationship between the two brothers.
Featuring exclusive interviews with Melissa Schuman, Ashley Repp, and Shay Ruth, who offer emotional, powerful insights and perspectives into their allegations against Nick, Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter not only offers a deeper understanding around the allegations, but also chronicles the intense backlash Nick’s accusers have faced since their decision to speak publicly and the lasting impact that has had on their lives. The docuseries also features first-hand accounts from a member of the Carter family and close family friends, including Nick’s ex-girlfriend Kaya Jones and Aaron’s former fiancé Melanie Martin, to offer an intimate perspective on how intense fame and the spotlight caused a rift between two brothers.
Over four parts, Fallen Idols explores the dark side of fame and fraught family dynamics but also the intense challenges faced by accusers who come forward against celebrities and pop culture icons in today’s modern world.”
